Ethel and McAdams high school principals were not rehired for the 2019-2020 school year during the Monday night meeting of the Attala County School board.
Prior to the meeting, Ethel High School Principal Patrick Boyle had submitted a letter stating he did not intend to return for the next school year.
Superintendent Bryan Weaver recommended to board members that Boyle be removed from all financial accounts at the school and that Corey Parish be added to the accounts with financial bonding.
The Star-Herald contacted board attorney Mark Burton regarding the reasoning behind removing Boyle from the accounts, but Burton said no comment would be made on the matter at this time.
Attempts to contact Boyle about his upcoming departure and changes to his current authority before The Star-Herald press time Tuesday were unsuccessful.
While Weaver recommended the board rehire McAdams High School Principal Jackie Sandifer for the upcoming school year, the board took no action Monday night. Sandifer did not responded to a The Star-Herald request for comment, and it was unclear if the board would consider Weaver’s recommendation at a future meeting.
The potential for both county high schools to see new leadership in the 2019-2020 school year follows the Mississippi State Board of Education designating Ethel High School as a D-rated school and McAdams High School as an F-rated school in its most recently-issued report.
Other business
Current county elementary school principals recommended and approved for rehire were Culley Newman, Greenlee Elementary; Dietrich Harmon, Long Creek Elementary; Tony Holder, Career Tech Center; Sped Director Renee McNeal; Tara Kyle, Federal Programs; Selena Schuster, Testing Director; and Lorean Kilbert, MTSS.
The board also approved the McAdams field house construction project at a cost of $426,000 with McKnight and Son serving as the contractor. The project will include a 50-foot by 40-foot addition to the existing field house. The addition will include two locker rooms, a laundry room, rest rooms and office.
“We hope to be in the new field house by the first of the next school year, at least by football season,” Weaver told the board.
The resignation of Child Nutrition Director and Administrator Gay Fancher, who is retiring, was accepted, and the board hired substitute cafeteria workers Margaret Johnson at Long Creek Elementary and Willie Jean Jones at Greenlee Elementary.
In 16th section matters, a 30-day extension was granted to Bryan Shea McCarty on a 304-acre hunting and fishing lease.
The board tabled the approval of ABM Custodian Services, which had presented a contract for services at a previous meeting. Weaver said there remained a need to discuss the contract and consult with current custodians before deciding.
In other matters, permission was granted for three officers from the superintendent’s office to attend a meeting of the Virginia and Southeastern Association of School Business Officials Conference and Discovery Forum April 29-May 3 in Norfolk, Virginia.
The 2019-2020 school calendar of 181 student days, seven professional development days and one inclement weather day was accepted.
UPDATE (020719): The Star-Herald has verified that Ethel High School Principal Patrick Boyle has been placed on administrative leave and Corey Parish has been appointed Acting Principal of the school. Those actions were taken by Superintendent Bryan Weaver. Weaver declined to discuss the specifics of the actions taken against Boyle.
